Control for automatic elevators



Oct. 15, 1940. THURSTQN 2,217,824 I CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 51. 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l Camrafler far Car/4' ConfrM/er for Car 5 1940- E. B. THURSTON CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 31, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 elacaTed F/oor Oct 1940- E. B. THURSTON CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 51, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mn 2 W W 3% M 5 6 3 8 5/ 3 4, U 3955 2 222 13 2 955- A TK g w o 0 O. 9 0. 0 0 1 0 O. O. 0 rk fx r \I m 6 9 3 4 4 a E 4 9 2 7 8 I J J J 7 8 9 4 4 7 0 9 0 0 W 4 4 T 4 M 4 Z Z 4 5 K. 3 4 5 6 5 4 5 6 @@W 1940- E. B. THURSTQN CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 31, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z 3 4 5 6 m m m m w 7 4 w L W 3 M w Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATORS corporation of Ohio- Application August 31,

27 Claims.

This invention relates to a control for automatic elevators particularly adapted for use where there are two or more elevators employed cooperatively in the same building.

The object of the invention is to provide control means by which the elevators may operate normally only to certain selected landings, but so that one elevator may be made to operate automatically to serve landings normally taken care of by another of the elevators.

My improved system may be employed with any number of elevators, but, of course, the arrangement is most simple with two elevators and, therefore, will be disclosed first only in connection with the operation of two elevators, and then the extension of the principle to more elevators will be discussed.

Inbuildings Where more than one elevator is employed, itis being increasingly appreciated that the best service may be obtained under normal conditions by employing certain of the elevators asexpress elevators to certain floors. In this way by selecting the proper elevator the user may arrive much more quickly at the desired destination than where .the elevator may be stopped at any floor.

The primary purpose of this invention is to devise a control by which the desired express operation may be normally obtained with automatic operation of the elevators and at the same time a simple operation may change the circuits so that one or more of the elevators may be dispensed with and another elevator take over the service. By this arrangement, there need 35 be but a single push button for either direction at any floor, except the main landing, and at any given time only one car will respond to any push button, although the man in charge can readily change the system so as to have a different car respond to any one of these push buttons above the main floor.

It is also desirable at certain times to have the cars respond to calls from only certain land'- ings, but to have the push buttons within the car operative to send the car to any desired floor. This isparticularly desirable during slack hours where there is a great deal of interfloor communication. Also, at times, it is desirable totake over the entire regular passenger traiiic with one or more of the cars, leaving a car free from the regular passenger trafiic and so that it will not respond to a call from any landing, but so that it can be employed as a service car and will go to any floor in response to a push: button within-the car. Theimproved ar- 1938, Serial No. 227,800 I rangements render it simple to operate the cars selectively in any of these manners even though the regular operation is as automatic express cars.

Another feature of the invention is the automatic control of indicator means at the first floor, Where there is more than one push button for the up direction, so as to designate which floors a given car is arranged to serve at any given time. Another feature of the invention is automatic control of indicator means within the car to indicate the landings to which the car may be sent by push buttons within the car.

Other features and objects of the invention will appear as: the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 isa wiring diagram of connections between landing push buttons and car controls for two cars, embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the invention applied to the control of three cars;

Fig. 3 is a diagram from push buttons Within the car to the car controller where an arrangement is employed similar to that disclosed in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is: a diagram of the connections from push buttons within the car to the car controller where two cars are employed in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a diagram alternative to a portion of Fig. 1 for the control of certain. connections.

In the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 1, there is indicated a car controller H for car H and.

' a car controller [2 for car l3. These are ar ranged for operation in a building with ten floors indicated upon Fig. 1 diagrammatically by the lines I to ID, inclusive. There are also diagrammatically indicated push buttons I4 and 5 at floor I and down buttons at each of the floors above floor I indicated by the even numbers from Hi to 32, inclusive, and up buttons for each of the floors from 2 to 9, inclusive, indicated by the odd numbers from. IT to 3!, inclusive. Push button I4 is connected to controller I?! by line 33. Buttons I5 to 24 are connected by lines 34 to 43, respectively, to controller ll,

while buttons 25 to 32 are connected by lines normally open switches 56 to 65, inclusive, while indicatingthe connections lil lines 44 to 5| are connected to controller II by normally open switches 66 to 13, respectively. Power line 15 is in permanent connection with one side of each of the push buttons. The internal construction of the controllers may be of any well known or suitable arrangement and need not be described in detail, but it will be understood that there are relays within the controller operating suitable circuits to operate the cars to bring them to the place which the push button indicates. A power line 16 is normally connected to controller Ii through a closed switch I! so that when any of the push buttons connect line 75 to the controller through the respective line, the proper relay is energized. Similarly, a power line 18 is normally connected through closed switch 19 to controller [2.

In a suitable place for the designation of operating car ll there are lights 80 indicated as illuminating numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively, but which, of course, may efiect any other proper indication of these floors. Lights 80 are permanently connected to power line 15 through a branch line 8!, and are connected by line 82 through a normally closed switch 83 and a line 84 to the other power line.

Another light, or a series of lights, or equivalent devices 85 is operative to designate floors 1, 8, 9, and it]. One side of device 85 is permanently connected to line 8| through a branch 86, while the other side of device 85 is connected by a lead line 81 to line 82 through a. normally open switch 88.

In connection with car l3, there is an indicating device 90 for floors 1, 8, 9, and I8, permanently connected through line 9| to power line 15 and connected by a line 92 through normally closed switch 93 to the other power line 89. Indicating device 95 for car l3 indicates that the car is operative for floors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 and is connected through a lead line 96 permanently to line 9! and is connected through line 91 and normally open switch 98 to line 92.

There is indicated on the diagram a common operating means 99 for switches 56 to 65, inclusive, and switches TI, 83, and 98 in the diagram. All of these switches are shown in their normally open position, except 1! and 83 which are normally closed. It will be readily seen that when the common operating device is shifted, the normally closed switches 11 and 83 are opened and all of the other switches are closed. Similarly, a common operating device I08 operates switches 55, 66 to 13, inclusive, 19, 88, and 93, all of these switches, except 19 and 93 being normally open and switches 19 and 93 being opened when the other switches are closed.

The operation of the apparatus thus far described will be summarized for convenience at this point.

With the switches in the normal position in which they are shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that landing button !4 is connected permanently to the controller for car I3, while push button i5 is connected permanently to the controlled for car Il In the arrangement indicated, button l4 would call car [3 to the first floor and button l5 would call .car II to the first floor. However, it will be understood that where preferred, the cars may be arranged to automatically return and park at the first floor or at the top floor of their respective runs, as desired, in a well known manner, that constituting no part of the present invention and being immaterial to the operation of the cars in other respects.

It will be further seen that the buttons at the landings on floors 2 to 5, inclusive, and down button on floor 8 are connected permanently at the controller for car H while the up button on floor 6 and all buttons on floors 1, 8, 9, and ID are connected permanently to the controller for car l3. In this way, there will be one down button at l0, and a single up button and a single down button for each of the intermediate floors. Normally these buttons will call the respective car to the floor which it is intended to serve. In this way, car H will give service to floors 2 to 5, inclusive, and down from floor 6, while car II will give service to floors 1, 8, 9, and I and up from 6.

Of course, it will be readily understood that the floors may be divided up in any preferred way and that the arrangement is equally applicable to any number of floors, the essential feature being that normally one car responds to a certain set of landing buttons, while the other car responds to another set.

The normal operation of the cars will be readily apparent from the above. However, there are times when it may be desirable to shut down one of the cars and have the other car serve the entire building. The arrangement illustrated lends itself very readily to this operation. Presuming that it is desired to serve the entire building by means of car l3, this can be done simply by operating member 99 and thereby closing the switches connected to that member which are shown in the drawing as being opened, and opening the switches which are shown to be closed. In this way, it will be seen that not only push button l at floor I, but both buttons at floors 2 to 5, inclusive, and the down button at fioor 6 will be connected through switches 56 to 65, inclusive, with controller [2. At the same time, switches 98 is closed, energizing indicator 95 so that the fact is automatically indicated that the car is serving floors 2 to 6, as well as 1 to ID. At the same time, switch 11 is opened which cuts off the power supply through line 16 to controller II, thereby rendering it impossible to call car H to any landing by operating any of the landing buttons. Also, switch 83 is opened, thereby cutting off power through line 82 to indicator 88 and thus providing proper indication that car II is not operating to serve floors 2 to 6.

Conversely if it is desired to serve all the floors with car ll, member 99 is returned to its normal position thereby cutting off car l3 from response to the calls normally operating car H and energizing car i I for response to those calls, also returning the indicator operation to its normal position. Thereafter, member I00 is shifted to close switches 55, 66 to 13, inclusive, and 88, thereby connecting controller H to the push buttons normally served by car I3 and energizing indicator 85 so as to indicate that car ll' is now serving floors 1 to II). At the same time switches 19 and 93 are operated, thereby cutting off power from controller l2 so that it will not respond to any push button, and de-energizing indicator 90 so as to give proper notice that car I3 is no longer serving these floors. Members 99 and I00 may be operated from the car or from any other convenient point through suitable apparatus; but if the operating means is accessible to the public, it is preferable to lock it or otherwise secure it in such a way that it will be operated only by authorized persons. The same observation holds true of other switches which are .IiI)

described and which are employed to change the service of the elevators or portions thereof.

It will be readily understood that the connections in the controller are suitably arranged in a well known manner to register the calls from the respective landings and result in operation to the floors in chosen order, where a plurality of calls are registered before the first one was taken care of, in accordance with well known systems in the operation of automatic elevators. This phase of the operation forms no part of the present invention and, therefore, is not shown or described in detail.

The diagram thus far described and the operation of the cars controlled thereby has related entirely to the response of the cars to push buttons at the various landings. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic indication of the connections for relays in the car controller operating in response to push buttons in the car. This arrangement is designed for use with the landing button connections shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that in controller I2 there are indicated relays IOI to I I0, inclusive, operative-when energized to send the car to floors I to I0, respectively. The, relays for floors I and 'I to I are connected on one side to. line II I which in turn is normally connected to branch H2 from line I8 through the normally closed switch I I3. Relays I02 to I06, inclusive, are connected on one side to line II4 which is connected through the normally closed switch H5 to line H6 which is a branch from line 91. A branch II I from line 89 may be connected to line III through a normally open switch H8, which is closed when switch H3 is opened. Likewise, line II4 may be connected to line III by a normally open switch I I9 which is closed when switch H5 is open. I

Suitably positioned inthe car I3 there is a series of push buttons I2I to I30, inclusive, which are connected by lines I3I to I40, respectively, to the other side of relays IOI to I I 0, respectively. For convenience in illustration, the lines running from controller I2, located in a suitable stationary position, to the controller I2 located in car I3 and carrying push buttons I2I to I30, are shown in Fig. 4 as direct separate lines, but it will be readily understood that in practice these connecting lines will be joined in a cable I2 forming a loop, one end of which is suspended from controller I2 in car I3, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the car may move up and down without disturbing the connections. There are lights I4I to I in suitable relation to the respective buttons I2I to I30 so as to indicate when these respective push buttons are operative. It will be readily understood that the indication may take any other suitable form, but for illustrative purposes, lights are indicated. It will be seen that one side of lights MI and I41 to I50, inclusive, is connected by a line I5I with line III, while the similar side of lights I42 to I46, inclusive, is connected by a line I52 to line I I4.

The other side of the push buttons I2I to I30, inclusive, and of the lights I4I to I50, inclusive, are connected to a power line I 53 which I may be a branch from line I5.

While the car button connections have been shown in Fig. 4 only in connection with controller I2 and car I3, it will be readily understood that an analogous arrangement is made for controller II and car H with converse arrangements of connections to the separate buttons, that is, line H6 connected to line 81 corresponds to line I I6, but is connected to the relays operated by car push buttons for floors I, 8, 9, and I0 instead of for floors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Other similar parts H2, II3 III, and H8 are connected to con-, troller I I in the same way as corresponding parts for controller button, but for the other set of car push buttons, respectively, as will be readily understood without detailed diagram.

In the position of the switches shown inv Fig. 4, it will be readily seenthat normally relays IOI and I0'I to I I0 will be energized through the connection of line I II to line I8, which is the power line to the landing button relays. However, relays for floors I02 to I06, inclusive, will not be energized because line I I6 connected to line 91 eads to the open switch 98. For the same reason, lines H4 and I52 will be dead and, therefore, lights I42 to I46, inclusive, will not be lit, and anyone entering the car will see that it is operative only to floors I and I to I0, inclusive.

If member 99 is shifted so that car I3 takes over the service to the landings normally served by car H the closing of switch 98 which energizes indicator 95 also energizes lines H6, H4, and I52, thereby making push buttons I22 to I26 operative and energizing lights I42 to I46 to indicate that operativeness.

If member I00 is shifted, instead of member 99, so that car H takes over the service for the entire building, lines I I6, I I4, and I52 remain deenergized and at the same time, due to the opening of switch I9, line I8 is de-energized, and consequently energy will be cut ofi from lines III and I5I. Therefore, not only will the indicators and at the landing fail to be energized and, therefore, indicate that car I3 is not in commission, but all of the lights I4I to I50, inclusive, in connection with the car push buttons, will also be extinguished, and it will be evident to anyone that the car is not operative. Of course, the energy being cut off from the relays, as above described, any mistaken operation of any of the push buttons would not result in any movement of the car.

While the above is the normal operation of the car, whereby not only will the respective cars ing. may be occupied by a single company, or

closely afiiliated companies, it is sometimes desirable to have the cars operative to any desired floor. In the set-up indicated, for example, the car I3 alone would respond to a call from floor I. Presuming that a person on floor I desired to go to floor 4, the car II would not come up to get him. He could call only car I 3, but the car I3 would not stop on the way down until he reached floor I. Therefore, he would have to go to the ground floor and then go back up in car II to floor 4. In order to obviate this difiiculty where there is considerable travel of this kind, or between rush hours, switches H5 and H9 are provided. It will readily be seen that by shifting these switches the relays operated by the car buttons are all energized because all are connected to line I I I. Of course, a similar arrangement can be made in controller II for car H This does not afiect the landing buttons, and each car will still respond to calls from its own landing buttons only, but after one enters the car, he can operate it by the proper car button to any desired landing.

In some buildings and under some circum stances, it is desirable to have one car take over the entire automatic service for passengers, outside of rush hours and have the other car available for use as a freight car or otherwise, so that while it will not respond to any landing button, it can be sent to any desired landing by an operator within the car. When desired, this operation may be eifected in the following manner. Member I00 having been shifted so that the entire operation from landing buttons is taken over by the car i l in the manner previously described, if it is desired then to operate car l3 as a freight elevator, or otherwise in response only to an operator within the car, it is merely necessary to shift switches H3 and H8 so as to open switch H3 and close switch H8, thereby connecting line Ill to line 89 and thereby energizing relays [0| and 101 to H3. If it is desired to operate for the entire building in this way, the switch 1 I5 is opened and H9 is closed. Thereupon, the car will respond to any of the push buttons Within the car, but will not respond to any of the landing buttons, so that the car can be operated by an operator therein, but cannot be called to a landing by anyone outside of the car.

It will be readily seen from the above that the illustrated connections will enable the car to be operated in the various ways described by simple operation of the switches, and that indications are provided so that if any mistake were made in throwing any of the switches, the indicators promptly advise the operator exactly as to how the car will operate, and if the desired result has not been obtained, he can remedy the difficulty by operating the proper switch, and will be promptly advised as to when the desired connections have been eifected.

While one method of producing the connections has been indicated, it will be readily understood that similar results may be obtained by obvious variations in connections and switch operations which will effect the same objectives. Fig. 5 is illustrative of one variation whereby the number of switches employed can be materially reduced. For the most part the diagram illustrated in Fig. 5 is similar to that shown for the corresponding parts in Fig. l and, therefore, similar reference numerals are employed. However, switches 56 to 65 are omitted, but instead the relays to which lines 34 to 43 are connected are energized in the other side by a branch I56 from line H6. By this arrangement, switch 98 con trols, not only the energizing of indicator 95, but also the energizing of the relays to which lines 34 to 43, inclusive, are connected. Also, in the form shown in Fig. 5, lines 16 and 82 are united at the bottom of the diagram and are controlled by a common switch I54 which connects them with line 84. In this way the same control which is eifected in Fig. l by operation of member 99 is effected in the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 by movement of member I55 which opens and closes switches I54 and 98 alternatively. It will be readily understood that this is but illustrative of variations in the exact arrangement of connections and switches which may be adopted to effect the objects of this invention.

In this arrangement, as shown, the relays and indicators are energized at least in part from common lines. It will be readily understood that obvious connections may be made to operate the relays and indicating means from separate sources of power, which might be of different voltages if desired, but it is considered unnecessary to complicate the diagrams by indicating such possibilities.

The. invention also lends itself to the use with more than two elevators. Fig. 2 shows diagrammatic connections for operating three elevators from landing buttons in connection with the principles of this invention, and Fig. 3 indicates diagrammatically car button connections which might be employed in connection with a three car system, such as shown in Fig. 2.

Many of the arrangements are substantially the same in Fig. 2 as in Fig. 1, except modified for use with three elevators. For that reason, it will not be necessary to give as detailed a description of all parts as has been given in connection with Fig. 1. However, a different set of reference numerals will be employed throughout.

The diagram indicated in Fig. 2 is prepared for the operation of three elevators in an eleven story building. The eleven landings are indicated diagrammatically upon the drawings by lines 201 to 2ll, respectively. In the arrangement shown, there is indicated a controller 2l2 for car 2I3, a controller 2 for car 2l5, and a controller 2|6 for car 2H. The car 2l3 normally serves only floors 2, 3, 4, and 5 and if desired, the apparatus may be constructed so that the car will at no time go above floor 5. In this case, it is preferable that cars 2 l5 and 2H may either one be employed for all floors, so that there will be service to all floors even though any one of the cars is out of commission. In the diagram shown, either car H5 or 2|! may be employed for any of the upper floors, and any one of the three cars may be employed for the lower floors.

The connections for car 213 will be described first. There is indicated at the first floor a button 2l8, one side of which is connected by a branch 220 to power line 22l. The other side of the button is connected by line 222 to controller 2|2. A branch 223 of line 222 leads through an open switch 224 to controller 2. Another branch 225 from line 222 leads through a normally open switch 226 to controller 2 I 6.

There are indicated landing buttons 22! to 233, inclusive, on floors 2, 3, 4, and down from 6, which are connected by lines 234 to 240, inclusive, with controller 2l2. They are provided with branches 24! to 241, respectively, lead through normally open switches 248 to 254, respectively, to controller 214 and branches 355 to 36! leading through normally open switches 262 to 268 to controller 2l6. No other landing buttons are connected in any way to the controller for car A landing button 269 at the first floor is connected by line 210 to controller 214, and is provided with a branch 2H which leads through a. normally open switch 212 to controller H6. The up button 275 at landing 5 and the buttons thereabove to the down button on landing 8, designated by 218 to 282, respectively are connected by lines 283 to 288, respectively, to controller 2, and are provided with branches 289 to 294 which lead through normally open switches 295 to 306 to controller 2 I 6.

The up button at landing 8 and all of the buttons thereabove, indicated by 3M to 386, inclusive, are connected by lines 301 to M2 with controller 2 l 6, and are provided with branch lines 3|3 to 3|8 leading through normally open switches 3I9 to 324 to controller 2l4. At the first landing, there is also a button 325 for car 211, this button being connected by line 326 to controller 216 and connected through a branch a line34l.

321 and a normally open switch 323 to controller 2I4. The other side of the switch controlled by each button is connected by line 329 with power line 2 2I. The other power line 330 is normally connected to one side of the operating relays in controller 2I2 by a line 33I which leads through normally closed switches 332 and 333. A branch line 334 from line 331 is connected to an indicator 335 which may be energized to indicate that car 2I3 is operative for floors 2, 3, 4, and 5. Line 334 leads through normally closed switches 336 and 331. permanently connected by a line 338 with power line 221 It will be seen from this that in the normal operation of the device car 2I3 is indicated as being operative for floors 2, 3, 4, and 5, and that it will be energized to respond to push button 2I8 at the first floor and both buttons at floors 2, 3, and 4 and the down button at floor 5 In connection with car 2I5, there is an indicator 340 which indicates that the car is operative for floors 6, 1, and 8. This indicator is customarily connected to power line 22I through The other side of the indicator is connected 'by a line 342.to a branch 343 from line 330. Line 342 has inserted therein a normallyclosed switch 344.

In connection with car 2I5, there is also provided an indicator 350 which, when energized, indicates that the car is operative to floors 2, 3, 4, and 5. One side of this indicator is in constant connection with branch line 34I, while the other side is connected by line 35I to line 342 between indicator 340 and switch 344; There is interposed in line 35I a normally open switch 352 so that indicator 350 is not energized during the normal operation of the apparatus. The line also passes through a normally closed switch 353 which, when open, prevents energizing of indicator 350. I

In connection with car 2I5, there is also an indicator 354 which, when energized, indicates that the car is operative for floors 9, I0, and II. One side of this indicator is in constant connection with line 34I. The other side is connected by line 355 to line 35I through the normally open switch 356.

It will be seen from the above that in the normal arrangement of the connections, only indicator 349 is energized and that this indicates the car is operative for floors 6, 1, and 8.

In connection with car 2I1, there is an indicator 351 which, when energized, indicates that this car is operative for floors 9, I0, and I I. One side of this indicator is connected through line 358 to power line 2-2I. The other side of the indicator 'isconnected through line 359 to branch 343 through a normally closed switch 360 so that in the normal arrangement of the connections indicator 351 is energized and indicates that car 2I1 is operative for floors 9, I0, and II.

In connection with car 2", there .is also an indicator 36I which, when energized, indicates that the car is operative for floors 6, 1, and 8..

"indicator is connected to the power line onone The other side of indicator 335 is side throughlbranch "358 and on the other side is connected by line 365 to line 359 through normally closed switch 366 and normally open switch 361.

Because of open switch 361, indicator 364 is normally de-energized.

The operative mechanism in controller 2l4 for floors 6 to II is normally connected through line 310 to line 342, normally closed switch 31I being interposed in line 310. The operative mechanism in controller 2I4 for floors I to 5 is connected by line 312 to line 310 through normally closedswitch 313. The mechanism in controller 2I6 for floors 6 to II is normally connected by line 314 with line 343 through a normally closed switch 315, and the mechanism in controller 2I6 for floors I to 5 is normally connected with line 314 by line 316 in which there is the normally closed switch 311.

Common operating means 318 is indicated for shifting simultaneously switches 224, 248 to 254, 333, 331, 366, and 311. Likewise, common operating means 319 is indicated for simultaneously operating switches 226, 262 to 268, 332, 336, 361, and 313. Also, common operating means 380 is indicated for simultaneously operating switches 212,295 to 300, 344, 363 and 31I. Common operating means-38 l shifts simultaneously switches 3I9 to 324, 328, 356, 360 and 315.

In view of the description of the operation of the connections shown in Fig. 1, the description of the operation of Fig. 2 may be somewhat abbreviated. It will be readily understood that, so far as the floors 6 to I I, inclusive, are concerned, cars 2I5 and 2H operate substantially the same as the two cars indicated in Fig. 1, that is, normally car 2I5 takes care of floors 6, 1, and 8, while car 2I1 takes care of floors 9, I0, and II, but by, merely. shifting switch controlling member 380, the power supply to controller 2I4 for floors 6 to II can be cut off and at the same time controller 2I6 is connected to the buttons on floors 6, 1, and 8, and the indicator for floors 6, 1, and 8 in connection with car 2I1is energized and the corresponding indicator in con nection with car 2 I 5 is de-energized. The reverse operation may be carried out by movement of switch operating mechanism 38I which will disconnect controller 2I6 from operative relation with floors 9, I9, and II and close connections go? taking care of these floors by means of car Normally cars 2I5 and 2I1 do not respond to the landing buttons at floors 2, 3, or 4, or the down button at '5, as these are taken care of by car 2I3, but in case it is desirable to take care of these floors by either car 2I5 or 2I1, it may be readily done. Movement of switch controlling mechanism 318 is sufiicient to open switch 333 and thereby render car 2I3 inoperative, and at the same time switch 331 is opened so that indicator 335 is-no longer energized. However, indicator 359 is energized and the push buttons customarily connected to controller 2| 2 are connect ed through their branch lines to controller 2I4.

If switch member 318 is left in its normal position and switch member 319 operated to shift the switches from the position in which they are shown in the drawings, it will be readily seen that car 2I3 is likewise de-energized, but the indicator 364 for car 2I1 is energized and the buttons normally responded to by car 2I3 are connected to controller .2I6. It'will also be seen that shifting switch member 319 to take care of the floors normally taken care of by car 2I3 will render it imindicators and the operative mechanism in the.

respective controllers are de-energized so that neither car will respond to the buttons nor is it indicated as so operating. This is a desirable feature as it prevents inadvertently arranging the connections so that two cars might respond to the same call.

The arrangement shown is for an installation where it is desired that service to floors 2 to 5 can be added to car 215 or car 2 I 1 only when that car is in service to other floors. For example, if member 381 is moved to shift service from car 211 to car 215, switch 315 is opened and thereby line 316 is disconnected from line 343, and therefore subsequent operation of member 319 cannot make controller 216 operative to take over the service to landings 2 to 5.

Likewise, it will be seen that if member 380 is operated first so as to de-energize the supply through line 310 to controller 214, a subsequent shifting of switch controlling member 318 to connect controller 214 with the push buttons normally taken care of by car 213 will not be operative because of opened switch 311. In other words, when car 211 is taking care of floors 6 to 1 I, it may be also connected to take care of floors 2 to 5, but car 215 may not be connected for this purpose without some special connections. It will be readily understood that operative connections could be provided for making this arrangement possible when desired, but ordinarily if two cars are to be employed and car 213 shut down, the load of car 213 will be added to one of the other operating cars. Any other operation would be desirable only under unusual conditions.

Fig. 3 indicates somewhat diagrammatically one form of operation of the push buttons in car 211 and their connection to controller 216. In the indicated diagram line 400 is indicated as being connected through normally closed switch 401 to branch 402 from line 314. Line 400 leads to one side of relays 403 to 406, inclusive, which are connected by lines 401 to 410, inclusive, to buttons 411 to 414, which send the car to floors 1, 1 1, 10, and 9, respectively. In operative connection with the buttons 411 to 414, there are lights 415 to 418 connected by line 419 to line 400. A line 420 connects the other side of the lights and buttons to power line 221.

Aline 421 is connected through a normally closed switch 422 to a line 423 which is connected to line 362 between indicator 361 and switch 363 so that normally line 421 is not energized. Line 421 is connected through relays 424, 425, and 426 by lines 421, 428, and 429 to buttons 430, 431, and 432 which control operation of the car to floors 8, 1, and 6, respectively. Lights 433, 434, and 435 are indicated in connection with the last said buttons, respectively, and are connected by line 436 to line 421.

Line 440 is connected through a normally closed switch 441 and branch 442 with line 316. Line 440 is connected through relays 443 to 446 by lines 441 to 450 with car push buttons 451 to 454, which operate the car to floors 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. In connection with the last said buttons, there are lights 455 to 458, respectively, connected by line 459 with line 440.

A normally open plural switch 460 is operative to connect branch line 461 from line 330 to lines 400, 421 and 440. A common operating member 461 is arranged to close the contacts of switch 460 and at the same time to open switches 401, 422, and 441.

It will be readily seen from the above that in the normal arrangement of the connections, line 400 will be energized but lines 440 and 421 will not. Therefore, the only car buttons which are normally operated are car buttons 4| 1, 412, 413, and 414, and only the lights in connection therewith will be normally energized. However, when the switches are manipulated so that the car is intended to take over floors 6, 1, and 8, lines 423 and 421 will be automatically energized and so buttons 430, 431, and 432 will be operative and the lights in connection therewith will be lit. Only when line 316 is energized will buttons 451 to 454, inclusive, be illuminated and operative.

It will be readily understood that further connections might be employed, if desired, so as to make the car operative for interfloor communication, as described in connection with the two car system, but it is deemed unnecessary to complicate the diagram with the addition of such connections. There is indicated, however, switch 460 which may be closed, with the opening of switches 401, 422, and 441, whereupon, the car may be used as a freight car or the like, since it may be sent by the operator to any selected landing, but will not respond to a call from any landing.

No diagram has been made of the car button connections for controllers 214 or 212, but it is believed obvious how connections can be made for these cars in accordance with the principles disclosed above and so that the car buttons may be operative only when the corresponding landing buttons are operative or that all of the car buttons may be operative when only part of the landing buttons are operative or so that all of the car buttons may be operative when none of the landing buttons are operative. In the installation shown, the car buttons for car 215 may be arranged substantially the same as those described, with obvious changes as to groups of floors controlled, while for car 213 the matter is simplifier because all of the car buttons may be operative at all times any of them are operative.

For convenience, the means at the landings and within the car for operating designated relays have been referred to throughout as push buttons, but it will be readily understood that any other equivalent means for registering a call may be employed, and that the same term, where employed in the claims, is used for brevity to cover equivalent means, and not as limiting the installation to that particular type of call-registering means.

As will be readily seen from the foregoing description, the described installation is arranged for fully automatic use under normal conditions, that is, the buttons at the various landings will start the connected car thereto, if not already in motion, or in other words, the landing push buttons call the car thereto and do not merely stop the car at the landing as is customary where an operator is on the car. In the appended claims, the word automatic is employed in the above sense, and reference to calling cars is intended to apply to means which will not only stop the car at the respective landing, but will start the car towards the appropriate landing if it is not already in motion.

What I claim is:

1. An elevator installation comprising a plurality of cars operative'to a plurality of landings, means rendering one of said cars automatically operative for service up to, but not, beyond, a certain landing, means rendering another of the cars automatically operative for express service to landings above said certain landing, and man-- i ually operable means for rendering one of said cars inoperative and the other of said cars operative to serve all of said landings. I

2. An elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators adapted to serve a plurality of landings, each of the elevators comprising a car and a controller for the car, a single up button and a single down button at a plurality of said landings, connections between each button and a plurality of controllers, said connections being =operative at any time between any one of said push buttons and only one of said controllers, regardless of the position of the. other cars, and manually operable means for rendering operative the connections between any button and the selected one of a plurality of controllers.

3. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators each comprising a car and a controller therefor, a plurality of landings served by said installation, push buttons at said landings, connectionsbetween the push buttons and controllers, means rendering the connections from one landing normally operative only to one of said controllers and the connections from another landing normally operative only to another of said controllers, and manual means for rendering the connections from both of said land ings operative to only one of said controllers.

4. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of landings, each elevator comprising a car and controller and operating apparatus, push buttons at the lands, connections whereby the buttons at certain landings are normally operatively connected to the controller of one car only, buttons at other of said landings normally connected to the controller of another car, and means operable at will to render said connection of the first said buttons inoperative and to establish operative connections between the first said buttons and the second said controller.

5. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators, each comprising acar and a controller for the car, a plurality of landings served by said installation, a single up button and a single down button at a pluralit of said landings, connections between said buttons up to a certain landing, operative to one of said controllers, connections between the buttons above said certain landing operative to an- ",other of said controllers, manually operable means for rendering the connections from all of said buttons operative to one controller, and means rendering the connections from any one button to one controller inoperative when the ;connection from said button to another controller is rendered operative.

6. An elevator installation comprising a plurality of cars and a control device for'operating each car, a landing towhich any of said cars 3 may move, a button at said'landing, connections to serve a zone of landings exclusively, and manually operable means to render a car automatical- 1y operative to serve the zone formerly served by another car, and means actuated by the operation of said manually operable means to render the last said car inoperative to serve'the last said zone.-

8. An elevator installation comprising more than two elevators serving a plurality of landings, each elevator comprising a car and a controller, means normally rendering each car automaticallyoperative to serve only part of the landings, and to serve certain landings exclusively, and manually operable means for changing the automatic operation to render any one car no longer operative automatically, and to render another car automatically operative to serve the landings formerly served by the car rendered inoperative, at least one of said elevators being inoperative at any time to the upper landing.

9. An elevator installation comprising more than two elevators serving a plurality oflandings, one of said elevators being operable only to the lower portion of the landings and two of the elevators being operable to the highest landing, control means normally rendering the said one elevator automatically operable to serve a group of the lower landings, and means capable of rendering either of the said twoelevators automatically operable to said group of landings.

10. An elevator installation in accordance with claim 9 and comprising means rendering all other elevators in said installation inoperative to said group of landings when any one elevator is rendered operative thereto.

11. An elevator installation in accordance with claim 9 and comprising control means normally rendering one of the said two elevators automatically operable to one group of upper landings and the other of the said two elevators automatically operable to another group of upper landings, and means for modifying said control to render either of the said two elevators operative to serve the landings normally served by the said one elevator and the landings normally served by the other of the said two elevators.

12. An elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of landings including a main landing, each elevator comprising a car and a controller therefor, a button for each car at the main landing, a single up button and a single down button at a plurality of other landings, connections between each button at the main landing and the controller of the respective car, connections between the buttons atthe other landings and a plurality of the controllers, the last said connections segregating the buttons in groups and operatively connecting each group to only one of the controllers at a time, and means for rendering the connections from a plurality of groups'operative to any one of a plurality of controllers.

13. An installation in accordance with claim 12 and comprising car buttons in each car for a plurality of landings, connections between the car buttons and the car controller to send the car to the respective landings, and means normally rendering the car buttons operative for only those landings to which the landing buttons will call the car.

14. An installation in accordance with claim 12 and comprising car buttons in each car for a plurality of landings, connections between the car buttons and car controller for sending the car to the appropriate landing in response to actuation of the car button, means for rendering operative the connections from selected groups of the car buttons, and means for indicating which of the car buttons are operative.

15. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of landings, each elevator including a car, a controller for the car, and a button within the car for each landing, buttons at the landings, connections between the landing buttons and the controllers normally operating a car to move it to a landing when the button at that landing is operative, and means to render the connections from all landing buttons inoperative as to the controller of one car, and means to render the car buttons operative in the last said car while the landing buttons are inoperative.

16. An elevator installation in accordance with claim 15, and comprising means normally rendering the car buttons operative only as to those landings at which the landing buttons are operative for that car.

17. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of fioors, each elevator including a car, a controller for the car, and car buttons within the car connectable with the controller for sending the car to the respective landings, means for rendering operative the connections from selected groups of the buttons, and means within the car automatically indicating which buttons are operatively connected to the controller.

18. An elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of floors,

; each elevator comprising a car and a controller therefor, means rendering a car automatically operative to serve less than all of the floors, and an indicator at a landing indicating which floors are being served by an elevator.

19. An elevator installation in accordance with claim 18, and comprising means for changing the group of landings which a car serves and means automatically changing the indication of the indicator to accord with the changed operation.

20. An automatic elevator installation comprising an elevator adapted to serve a plurality of landings, the elevator comprising a car and a controller for the car, landing buttons at the several landings, connections from the buttons to the controller for rendering the buttons operative to call the car to the respective landings, means for rendering operative the connections from only selected groups of said buttons, car buttons within the car, connections from the car buttons to the controller for sending the car to the landing corresponding to the respective car button which is operated, and means normally rendering operative the connections from the car buttons for only the group of landings where the landing buttons are operative.

21. An automatic elevator installation in accordance with claim 20 and manually operable means for rendering other car buttons operable.

22. An automatic elevator installation comprising a car operable to a main floor and to a plurality of other floors, means within the car for sending the car to the floors, means at the floors for calling the car to the floors,

manually operable means for rendering selected groups of the call means operative or inoperative at will, means at the first floor automatically indicating the floors at which the call means is operative, connections rendering the sending means within the car operative for the rloors where the call means are operative, and automatic means within the car indicating for which floors the sending means is operative.

23. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of floors, means rendering each of a plurality of the elevators automatically operative to serve exclusively a selected group of floors, manually operable means for changing the group of floors which a given elevator serves, means at a floor indicating the group of floors which the elevators serve and automatically chan ing to accord with a change in the group, and means within the car indicating the group of floors which the car serves and automatically changing to accord with a change in the group.

24. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a main floor and a plurality of groups of other floors, means rendering each elevator automatically operable to serve exclusively one of said groups, means for simultaneously rendering one elevator inoperative and another elevator operative to serve the group formerly served by the inoperative elevator, and means at the main floor indicating the group of floors which the respective elevators serve and automatically changing to accord with any change in service.

25. An installation in accordance with claim 24 and each elevator comprising a car having within it means to indicate the group of floors which the car will serve and automatically changing to accord with a change in the group.

26. An automatic elevator installation comprising a plurality of elevators serving a main floor and a plurality of other floors, each elevator comprising a car and a controller for the car, a separate push button at the main floor for calling each car, single buttons for a given direction at each of the other floors for calling a car, connections dividing the buttons at said other'fioors into the same number of groups as there are cars and normally rendering a single car responsive to the buttons in a single group, manually operable means for changing the grouping of the buttons to which the cars are responsive, and indicating means at the main floor for each car indicating the group of buttons to which that car is responsive and automatically changing to indicate a change in grouping of buttons to which the car is responsive.

27. An installation in accordance with claim 26 and comprising push buttons within each car connected with the controller to send the car to designated floors, manually operable means for rendering the car buttons operative or inoperative to selected groups of floors, and means within the car indicating which car buttons are operative and changing, upon a change in the operativeness of the buttons, to still correctly indicate which buttons are operative.

ERNEST B. THURSTON. 

